‘Cold as the Ice Around My Neck’: Rapper Paul Wall Joins Forces With Sazerac on Grapefruit-Tinged Brandy

(Photo: Paul Masson Ice)

Last week, Sazerac’s Paul Masson Brandy unveiled an on-the-nose collaboration with rapper Paul Wall celebrating his love of diamond-studded, so-called “iced out” jewelry.

The frosty liquor — dubbed Paul Masson ICE — incorporates a laundry list of details that pay homage to the Texas legend known for songs like “Sittin Sidewayz” and “Drive Slow.” For one, its packaging features thermochromic technology that turns its label dark blue once placed inside a freezer. Said to balance flavors of tangerine and grapefruit, the brandy is bottled at 59 proof, a nod to the 5900 block of Southlea Street, Houston, from which Wall released his hit 2005 album “The People’s Champ.”

Smirnoff Ice, take note if you’re looking for future brand ambassadors.

From its packaging to its flavor, the release is clearly intended as an ode to the aesthetics of early-2000s hip-hop, or, as the brand puts it, a time “when both Pauls were starting to have their ‘big breaks’.”

“I’ve never had a drink like Paul Masson ICE. The burst of cooling sensation on the end is unmatched and as cold as the ice around my neck,” Wall remarked in a news release. “There’s no wrong way to drink Paul Masson ICE, either. Mix it with lemonade, peach tea, or my favorite lemon-lime soda. Don’t you think it’s time we added a little ICE to this heat wave that we’re feeling across the country?!”

Paul Masson shares its name with an eponymous French-born vintner who set up shop in 19th-century California. Over the decades, the brand has gone through countless iterations alongside a suite of A-list celebrity ambassadors.

Before Wall, it was director and actor Orson Welles, who was famously tapped to promote Masson wines between 1978 and 1981. Those ads are a whole can of worms in and of themselves, subject to much folklore speculating on Welles’ allegedly drunken behavior behind the scenes.

Paul Masson Brandy was eventually acquired by Buffalo Trace owner Sazerac for $255 million in 2020. Made from grapes distilled and blended in California, the brand’s portfolio includes its flagship Grande Amber and VSOP expressions alongside flavored twists including Apple, Peach, Pineapple and Mango.

Paul Masson ICE is expected to roll out this month at a suggested retail price of $12. For more information, find the brand’s website here.

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